Together, the husband and wife learned the ins and outs of importing and retailing ceramic tiles, and their business quickly grew.
“I was in trucks and I couldn’t make any money, so I decided to go into tiles,” Frank says.
In the early days the couple sourced a lot of stock from Melbourne and transported it to Shepparton themselves.
“I used to take the orders and go down to pick them up with the truck,” Frank says.
Then Frank and Mary spent the weekend driving deliveries all over town.
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One skeptical supplier was honest with Frank from the outset and told the budding businessman he didn’t think the tile shop would last.
“I asked him for a box of tiles for samples with different colours, and when he gave them to me he told me I’d go broke within six months,” Frank says.
Evidently, the wholesaler's prediction was seriously off kilter.
As an independent family owned and operated business, Frank and Mary paid no rent or franchise fees and could offer tiles at up to half the price of their competitors.
Frank started importing tiles from Italy, Spain, Japan and China.
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While her husband handled his fair share of the supply and distribution logistics, Mary’s specialty became customer service.
“He does all the driving around, getting the order together,” Mary says.
“I help the customers out . . . it’s their house, so they’ve got to be happy with what they’re getting.”
Christina Latorre, Frank and Mary's daughter, says her mum takes the time to listen to what her customers want.
“Mum will try to match tiles up as closely as possible . . . to work with them and save them money,” Christina says.
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Trends have changed dramatically over the years and Mary says clients these days want clean, simple, modern aesthetics.
“Before it was all these patterns all over the floor, and all this heavy stuff,” she says.
The business had its first standalone shopfront on Longstaff St, until Frank decided to buy land and build a showroom on Melbourne Rd about 30 years ago.
Today Shepparton Tiles and Lighting is a group effort, with Frank and Mary’s adult children Joey, Cosi and Christina helping out alongside Mary’s sister Lena Cirillo. Frank and Mary’s eldest, Joey, took up tiling as a trade, and his skills aligned neatly with the family business.
Joey runs his own business Advance Tile Contractors with more than 20 years of experience under his belt, meaning his parents never have to look far for a tradesman.
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Frank says his family first thought he was joking when he suggested expanding further to sell lights and heaters, but his instinct proved right, and business is going well.
More than 40 years since they started out, Frank and Mary plan to keep working as long as they're able.
They hope their children will take the reins when the time comes, and Christina says she's willing, as long as her brothers pitch in.
“It would be good to carry on the family history,” Christina says.
